Extension Gardener

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Extension Gardener™ is a statewide horticultural program that provides timely, research-based horticultural information. It helps Carolinians: increase their gardening knowledge, manage their landscapes, and sustain the environment.

Extension Gardener™ is a statewide horticultural program that provides timely, research-based horticultural information. It helps Carolinians: increase their gardening knowledge, manage their landscapes, and sustain the environment.

Bees are very important not only to agriculture (they pollinate about 75 % of fruits, vegetables and nuts species around the world), they are also very important to many flowering plants. About 70 % of flowering plants rely on insects for pollination, bees being one of the more important pollinators. Your landscape can benefit greatly from attracting bees.
Consider placing a block for orchard mason bees in your landscape. Orchard mason bees pollinate spring fruit trees, flowers and vegetables. They are non-aggressive and one may observe them at a close range without fear of being stung. Directions for making a block from scrap lumber can be found on the NC State Website at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Other/note109/note109.html
Ground dwelling bees will be showing up soon around the coastal plains and most in the piedmont and foothills a week or so later. They may scare people but they are non-aggressive and beneficial for pollination. Remember, don’t spray with insecticides plants that are blooming.

The mild weather of the past few weeks may have tempted us into thinking we had seen the last of winter for the year, but that will change Saturday night when lows are MORE »– from Chatham County CenterPosted: 3/28/15

If you haven’t already planted Irish potatoes, get them in the ground as soon as possible. In central North Carolina potatoes can be planted as early as mid February and should be in MORE »– from Chatham County CenterPosted: 3/27/15

The Spring Issue of Extension Gardener is now available Including information on Stemming the tide of invasive species ‘ Blizzard’ pearlbush Edible flowers Sustainability in the lawn and much MORE »Posted: 3/11/15

Floriculture InfoSearch is a powerful, but focused search engine designed to bring you floriculture information from the scientific literature, trade and association magazines/websites, NC State University, and the American Floral Endowment Floriculture Archive MORE »Posted: 8/22/13

The “Veggie Varmint” contest, hosted at the Burke County fair each year, is delightful, creative way to connect children with produce. Without the pressure to “EAT IT”, children (and adults) are encouraged to MORE »Posted: 8/22/13

Greenstriped Mapleworms Greenstriped mapleworms are found in the piedmont the end of June and early July. As their name suggests their preferred hosts are maple trees, but they are also found on boxelder MORE »Posted: 7/16/13

The emerald ash borer, a beautiful but extremely destructive, exotic insect pest, has now been detected in North Carolina. These beetles kill ash trees by feeding on the trunks. So far Person, Granville, MORE »Posted: 7/16/13

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